Well, I fired off a bunch of emails yesterday to the WRC. Not figuring on anything would come from it. Well dang, I got a bunch of emails backs will the commissioners wanting to talk about this. Most did not know about what SC has done and were pleased to hear about it. So from the emails, they want to talk on the phone. So we will see what will come from this. I in no way will have my hopes up for anything to come from this, but if it does. We all might have to go by some more ammo.

puppypopper wrote:Well, I fired off a bunch of emails yesterday to the WRC. Not figuring on anything would come from it. Well dang, I got a bunch of emails backs will the commissioners wanting to talk about this. Most did not know about what SC has done and were pleased to hear about it. So from the emails, they want to talk on the phone. So we will see what will come from this. I in no way will have my hopes up for anything to come from this, but if it does. We all might have to go by some more ammo.

That's good news Pup. I will do the same. My dog needs something to retrieve.

ibedamn wrote:That's good news Pup. I will do the same. My dog needs something to retrieve.

Not that I ever shot one or anything, but make sure it's dead before the dog is sent. their bill could put a dogs eye out. My buddies dog had her face pecked the whole retrieve back in. Not that we shot one or anything like that but just sayin.

1- Wildlife Federation and their anti hunting buddies protested the killing (can not call it a hunt, it is a depredation reduction that required a federal permit.)2- All prospective Hunters had to attend a training session put on by DNR before cormorant permits would be issued.3- Hunting licenses were required.4- Could only kill them in areas where duck hunting would have been legal.5- had to recover and bring the birds back for "proper disposal".6- Non Toxic shot only7- Closed the season early after (see #1) protested, whined, cried, wailed, gnashed teeth, boo hooed, etc. and papers picked up on it. Cat lovers were suddenly cormorant lovers (those poor little birdies).

Ever see a cute cormorant video?

Me neither.

Not sure of final numbers, but think it was around 8000 killed? Could be wrong.

I personally would not spend the money on non toxic shot to shoot the nasty things.

Shot some in Arkansas many years ago for fish farmer that had permit and asked us to shoot them. Farmer paid for the shells and took care of getting rid of them. Not easy to kill, dive like sea ducks.

Ive seen those nasty critters with small flounder in their mouth. I have no qualms buying a few extra boxes of steel shot to execute those jokers with extreme prejudice! After watching grizz stone crows at 50+ yards I'm sure he would put a balance on the population with a quickness!

snc1100 wrote:Ive seen those nasty critters with small flounder in their mouth. I have no qualms buying a few extra boxes of steel shot to execute those jokers with extreme prejudice! After watching grizz stone crows at 50+ yards I'm sure he would put a balance on the population with a quickness!

Well so far I have received five emails back from the mass send out that I did. I have to call a couple of the guys back, due to they wanted to talk further about this. From what I have received, they have started a study as to what is going on with these birds and what they are doing to our lakes. We should have some results by the end of next week. Once I have further information I will let you know.

COLUMBIA, SC — South Carolina hunters killed 11,653 double-crested cormorants on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie in one month this winter in an effort to reduce the number of the fish-eating birds on the lakes. One hunter, whose name was not made public, reported killing 278 himself, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, which released the information to The State newspaper on Friday.While hunters jumped at their first chance to shoot the long-necked, black birds, the Audubon Society screamed in protest at the results. “That’s a horrific number,” said Norman Brunswig, Audubon’s South Carolina director. “It’s not a defensible action. I think DNR got bullied into doing this and didn’t know how to get out of it, and a whole lot of birds died.” Longtime anglers on the lake pushed their state representatives to convince DNR to do something about the rising populations of cormorants, who they claim eat enough bait fish to impact the game fish populations. Only one small scientific study has been done on the impact of cormorants on the Santee Cooper lakes, and it was done during a severe drought. That study found an average of eight fish in the gut of cormorants. That study estimated there were 6,000 cormorants on the lakes in 2008, but anglers say the number has grown to closer to 25,000 in recent years. A proviso in last year’s agency budget made it difficult for DNR to turn down the request to set up a special cormorant hunting season. Traditionally, cormorants are a non-game, migratory species, and hunting them has been illegal. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in recent years has approved special programs to reduce the cormorant population if states requested permission.In most other states, those programs allow only wildlife officers and American Indians to shoot the birds. In South Carolina, DNR didn’t have the manpower to make a dent in the cormorant population, so it tried a different approach. Hunters who went through a short training program and agreed to strict regulations were allowed to kill the birds only on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, and only from Feb. 2-March 1.DNR leaders were stunned when nearly 800 people showed up at the first training session. The 1,225 people who eventually were issued permits surpassed agency estimates “by three- or four-fold,” according to Derrell Shipes, chief of wildlife statewide projects for the agency.Many anglers seemed eager to help reduce the cormorant numbers, but only 40 percent of the permit-holders returned the required hunt record documents by the March 31 deadline, Shipes said. Those who didn’t record their hunting hours and success rate won’t be allowed to get permits if there’s another hunt next year.Another proviso by Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence, in the 2014-15 budget compels DNR to allow a cormorant hunt next year. If there is a 2015 hunt, Shipes expects it will be set up differently. The agency staff has to look at what about the first season worked well, and what didn’t. More importantly, wildlife biologists will try to determine “how significant is that number (of birds being killed), and what will be its impact,” Shipes said.Brunswig wishes someone would do a large scientific study on the impact of cormorants on the fishery. He’s certain it would prove “they’re slaughtering a non-game species for no good reason.” The 496 hunters who returned information forms spent 42,748 hours in the field and averaged killing 23.5 cormorants in the one-month season. The South Carolina numbers are much higher than in specially permitted hunts in other states which rely on wildlife officers and American Indian tribes. Hunts in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Vermont and Wisconsin combined killed 21,312 cormorants in 2013, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife officials in Oregon and Texas already have contacted South Carolina to ask about details of the local hunt as they consider how to set up hunts in their states, Shipes said.

1225 permits issued, 496 complied and returned surveys- that means 729 did not return surveys so actual kill could have been higher (also cormorant hunters might lie like duck hunters and they actually killed 6 and said they killed 24, just saying)

I live in Texas and read with interest that Texas has contacted S.C. for info. I hate those stickin jokers. I have seen them dive on a school of largemouths or white bass and come up with some big fish. There is a trout fishery out here that some guy forgot to cover one day and they came in and ate virtually every trout in on of the concrete tanks. It irks the snot out of us to see them diving and eating fish after fish and when they cant hold any more, the throw up and start again. I would pay to get to shoot just one day. Catfisherman here find water turkey roost trees and fish under them cause they dont digest them all the way and big cats come up and eat whats left. Cant wait to see.